By Qiu Guohong
Since 2014, the ROK has been helping send back remains of Chinese volunteers who perished in the Korean War fought 60 years ago.
In the run-up to the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, I feel proud to be contributing to this great era as an ambassador on the front line.
Since February 2014, I have been posted in the Republic of Korea. During this period, China-ROK ties have experienced ups and downs. There have been joyful moments and difficult times. Some of the diplomatic events that took place during the time were historic and unforgettable for me.
Here, I would like to mention the handover of the remains of Chinese People's Volunteers Army martyrs. This is a diplomatic task that promotes friendship between the two countries and carries historical meaning. The handover reflects not only the expectations of tens of millions of Chinese people, but also the joint efforts of leaders of both countries, and the great potential China-ROK ties hold in overcoming the historical estrangement and embracing a peaceful and friendly future.
Many CPVA personnel lost their lives and were buried in the ROK during the Korean War fought over 60 years ago. For decades, there was a wish to get the martyrs back home and lay them to rest in the traditional Chinese way, in keeping with the spirit of patriotism. But for countless Chinese people the challenge was how to raise this sensitive issue.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee, with General Secretary Xi Jinping at the core, has attached great importance to praising and commemorating the martyrs.
Since 2011, China has organized projects with the goal of organizing memorial facilities for martyrs who fell in various countries. On-site examination was conducted on the remains of nearly 100 martyrs in 15 countries, and a consensus arrived at and agreements inked with many countries on the protection and management of their remains and also conduct of memorial facilities.
The ROK went a step further. During a visit to China in June 2013, then ROK President Park Geun-hye proposed that on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, the ROK government would like to return the remains of Chinese martyrs to their families for the sake of China-ROK friendship and humanity.
Since then, China and the ROK have cooperated closely on this issue. The relevant departments have carried out several rounds of consultations and arrived at an agreement. The two sides agreed to hold the first round of handovers on March 28, 2014. The Chinese side sent a special plane to return with the first batch of 437 volunteers' remains.
After more than 60 years, thanks to joint efforts by senior leaders in China and the ROK, the martyrs were returning home. I had submitted my credentials to then President Park Geun-hye on Feb 28, 2014. A month later, I led a representative of the Chinese Embassy to participate in the handover ceremony on March 28.
This was my first important task after I was posted in the ROK. The ceremony was held at Incheon Airport. It is slightly cool in Incheon before the Qingming Festival. There were thin clouds and a spring breeze was blowing. It all looked like in a poem, a soft voice telling a tragic history.
And then the Chinese special plane docked and Chinese and ROK honor guards stood face to face. Handover delegations from both sides signed an agreement to confirm the handover of the remains of 437 martyrs and other related relics.
Subsequently, Korean honor guards held the martyrs' bier and handed them over to the Chinese side. I stepped forward and covered the bier with a national flag. The occasion was solemn, I couldn't help but cry. After the memorial ceremony, Chinese honor guards escorted the biers aboard the special plane.
The CPV personnel had been brave. They dedicated their lives for the sake of their nation's dignity. Looking back at the war and cherishing the martyrs gives us a better understanding of the hard-won peace nowadays.
Every Qingming Festival afterward, I have gone to Incheon Airport to participate in the handover of CPV remains. According to the agreement, the ROK will verify and return CPV martyr remains and other relics to China this time every year. Till now, we have sent 599 biers home. The ROK side has done very detailed work, excavating, identifying and keeping custody of the martyrs' remains. The remains were wrapped in Korean traditional silk and cotton and placed in biers provided by China with relics such as pens, seals, water bottles and clothes wrapped separately.
We appreciate the ROK's efforts to send back the remains, which is of great significance for further developing friendly relations and enhancing political mutual trust between the two countries. We will continue to promote the excavation and identification of the remains in the ROK, so that more martyrs can return to their motherland.
The stories and spirits of martyrs are guiding lights on the road ahead of a country. Our respect for our heroes will encourage and inspire us in our journey forward. In 2018, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs was officially set up in Beijing for the commemoration of martyrs. The Heroes and Martyrs Protection Law of the People's Republic of China was implemented on May 1, 2018.
In the new era, we must internalize the spirit of martyrs in our mind and externalize it in our practice. Only by keeping in mind the history and bearing in mind the heroic wishes, can we firmly move forward without forgetting our original heart.
The 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization is formed by Chinese people, represented by heroic martyrs and inherited by Chinese people, and has always played the role of the source of energy for Chinese people. I believe that the Chinese people will join hands with the people in the world to face difficulties, strengthen friendship and embrace a brighter future.
The author is Chinese ambassador to the ROK. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
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